.•~VJERUJ MI~•. Axel Kovačević

"I don't know how to do this-how to fight a war without becoming a monster again."

"Vjeruj mi."

.•~___~•.

JADE KEENE is no longer a weapon. After years of being forged in the crucible of Terry Silver's manipulation, she has finally escaped the shadow of the Cobra. In the quiet discipline of Miyagi-Do, Jade has found more than just karate; she's found peace. For the first time, she isn't fighting to survive-she's fighting to heal. But the Sekai Taikai is not a place for healing. It's a place where ghosts come to hunt.

AXEL KOVAČEVIĆ is a champion in a cage. A two-time Sekai Taikai victor and the Iron Dragons' most lethal asset, Axel knows that in his world, winning is the only currency that buys survival. But this year, the price of victory has changed. To save his dojo from ruin, Axel has been given a singular, soul-crushing directive: Tear down Miyagi-Do from the inside out. The target? Jade Keene.

He is tasked with unravelling her-to find the cracks in her newfound peace and shatter her spirit until there's nothing left to defend. But when their eyes meet across the tournament floor, the mission shifts. Axel sees a mirror of his own brokenness in Jade, and Jade sees the boy behind the Iron Dragon's mask.

In a war they never chose, the deadliest strike isn't a physical blow-it's the connection neither was trained to fight. As the tournament reaches a fever pitch, they must decide: will they break the cycle of their pasts, or will they finally break each other?